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It is not often you need to completely drain a swimming pool. You typically drain them only when you need to repair them or if the water has become resistant to chemical treatments. Complete draining requires a good working knowledge of your home and neighborhood drainage systems to avoid overflow or possible legal penalties. Draining pool water occurs through your sewer clean-out, neighborhood storm drains or directly into your yard, and you must know if these areas are able to handle the volume of water you intend to release.

1

Drain as much of the pool water into your yard as possible by turning on the backwash pump and letting water drain directly into your yard. Be careful that the water does not have so many chemicals that it damages surrounding plants and grass.

2

Check that your sewer clean out port is free from debris and that water flows freely through it. Clean out any obstructions that slow down drainage.

3

Read all manufacturer instructions, tips and warnings for use of the submersible pump. Familiarize yourself with how the shutoff valve on the pump is triggered to start and stop the pump.

4

Plug the pump into an electrical outlet that includes a working ground-fault circuit interrupter. Test the outlet before using it to ensure the interrupter is functioning properly. Be sure to reset the outlet so that power will flow before turning on the pump.

5

Attach the drainage hose to the sump pump according to manufacturer's directions. Set the pump to 12 gallons per minute or less. Lower the pump into the deepest part of the pool and drag the opposite end of the drainage hose to and insert it into the sewer clean-out.

6

Insert the hose into the sewer clean-out securely. Make sure it will not be propelled back out when the water starts to flow. Turn on the pump and let it work on pulling the water out.

7

Check the flow rate going into the drain to make sure your sewer clean-out can accommodate it. If not, reduce the flow rate. There must not be water coming back out of the sewer clean-out while the water is flowing from the pool.

8

Check back every hour until the pool water is below the first step or less than 1-foot deep. From that point, watch the pump until it stops, as it is designed to stop pumping when the water level becomes too low.

9

Attach a spay nozzle to a garden hose and connect the garden hose to your outdoor water tap. Drag the nozzle end of the hose to the pool and have it ready to flush the dirt and debris as the pool finishes draining. Turn the water on when there is no water left in the shallow end and the deep end is approximately 6 inches deep.

10

Shovel excess debris as needed and spray the pool with water to rinse any dirt and other substances down toward the pump. Leave the pump running until you are done spraying out the debris.

11

Turn off the pump and remove it from the pool. Use a wet vacuum to clean up the remainder of the debris and water in the pool. Empty the vacuum as needed to prevent overflow.

Things You Will Need

Backwash pump

Drainage hose

Submersible pump

Wet vacuum

Tips

Where possible, drain the pool into the street drainage system instead of the sewer clean-out.

Replace the water as quickly as possible after draining to avoid damage to the liner caused by excessive exposure to the elements.

Warnings

Plug the pump into an outlet with a ground-fault circuit interrupter--a red button that stops the outlet from working--to avoid the risk of shock or death while using the pump.

Use caution when inserting the pump into the pool so you do not fall in with it.

About the Author

Based in southern Virginia, Kristy Robinson has been writing for various websites since 2008. Her work focuses on tutorials and self-help articles. Robinson holds a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice from American InterContinental University.